In the well-known process of electrostatographic or xerographic printing, an electrostatic latent image is formed on a charge-retentive imaging surface, typically a “photoreceptor,” and then developed with an application of toner particles. The toner particles adhere electrostatically to the suitably-charged portions of the photoreceptor. The toner particles are then transferred, by the application of electric charge, to a print sheet, forming the desired image on the print sheet. An electric charge can also be used to separate or “detack” the print sheet from the photoreceptor.
For the initial charging, transfer, or detack of an imaging surface, the most typical device for applying a predetermined charge to the imaging surface is a “corotron,” of which there are any number of variants, such as the scorotron or dicorotron. Common to most types of corotron is a bare conductor, in proximity to the imaging surface, which is electrically biased and thereby supplies ions for charging the imaging surface. The conductor typically comprises one or more corona members, such as wires (often called a “corona wire”) or a metal bar forming saw-teeth (a “pin array”), the conductor extending parallel to the imaging surface and along a direction perpendicular to a direction of motion of the imaging surface. Other structures, such as a screen, conductive shield and/or nonconductive housing, are typically present in a charging device, and some of these may be electrically biased as well. A corotron having a screen or grid disposed between the conductor and the photoreceptor is typically known as a “scorotron”.